VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (17-23) has a bye weekend from conference play and will welcome Conference USA member Middle Tennessee State (15-29) to Vestal for the first time. The teams will play a single game at 6 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday at Bearcats Baseball Stadium.

The series is a return in the home-and-home schedule that began March 28-30 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Bearcats sit a half-game up on UAlbany for the sixth and final playoff spot with six conference games remaining. On Wednesday, BU dropped a 13-7 non-conference game to Cornell. Junior third baseman Devan Bade hit a pair of 3-run home runs and drove in six runs. Senior ace Gabe Driscoll (4-3, 3.58 ERA) returns to the lineup after missing one start and will get the ball for Friday's opener. Senior lefty Nelson Berkwich (3-5, 4.58 ERA) will pitch on Saturday and graduate right-hander Spencer Howell (1-1, 7.59) will pitch Sunday's finale. On Saturday, BU will honor its 12 seniors in a pregame ceremony. 

The Blue Raiders come to town having dropped seven of their last nine. But the team is coming off a 9-2 win over North Alabama on Tuesday. MTSU sits in eighth place in Conference USA with a 5-13 league mark. As a team MTSU is hitting .287 and has a 7.60 pitching ERA. The team has a .960 fielding percentage. 

Senior catcher Briggs Rutter has hit 13 home runs with 41 RBI. Senior 3B Gabe Jennings is hitting .343 with 36 RBI. The top of MTSU's rotation has featured freshmen lefties Cole Torbett (0-2, 7.67 ERA) and Chandler Alderman (2-2, 4.09). Seven different pitchers have started three or more games, with freshman Trace Phillips (0-2, 8.69) a possible option on Sunday.  

In the first matchup in late March in Tenn., BU swept the series, winning 8-4, 9-0 and 14-3.      

Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 3 - 6 p.m.
RHP Gabe Driscoll (4-3, 3.58 ERA) vs. RHP Patrick Johnson (3-0, 7.16 ERA) | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats

Saturday, May 4 - noon (DH)
Game 1 (7 inn.) LHP Nelson Berkwich (3-5, 4.58 ERA) vs. LHP Chandler Alderman (2-3, 5.40 ERA) | Live Video | Live Stats
Game 2 (9 inn.) RHP Spencer Howell (1-1, 7.59 ERA)  vs. TBA | Live Video | Live Stats